Nothing Can Separate Us....

When you’re down and out; distraught with overwhelming emotions, remember this: nothing can separate us from God’s love. Nothing. No one can condemn us. No one can accuse us of being unworthy. And no matter what kind of calamity or persecution, or pain and sorrow we are experiencing, it doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Do you believe it? Do you really believe Him? Pray today that the Holy Spirit will confirm this to you, so your fears for today or worries about tomorrow will fade away in experiencing His presence today.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one–for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one–for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

Money Won’t Keep You There.....

Money may buy your way in, but eventually, it won’t keep you there. Your motives & money may get you to the penthouse, but your selfishness will take you to the outhouse, and keep you there. Integrity matters. Developing your character should be your focus. Use your money to help promote that. You’ll find when you invest it in others, your character development will follow.

16 A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty. Proverbs 22:16

Evil Doesn’t Last...

Evil doesn’t last, nor does it pay. It may seem temporarily beneficial to the rebel, it won’t last, but the consequences will last forever.

5 O Lord, what great works You do! And how deep are Your thoughts.6 Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this: 7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. Psalms 92:5-7

Not Controlled By Chance...

Whatever God allows to come into our lives is designed to conform us to the image of his Son. Our lives are not controlled by chance, it’s controlled by God, Who is too loving to be unkind, and too wise to err.

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Instead of Listening to Ourselves Talk...

The reason those not redeemed by the blood of Jesus can never please God is because they are controlled by their sinful nature. The unredeemed allow their minds to be controlled by their sinful nature. Sometimes, that means letting your feelings control your thought life. Instead of listening to ourselves talk, we need to tell ourselves what we know to be true. The redeemed allow God’s Spirit to control their thinking, and thus have peace, by knowing God is in it. This “telling ourselves what we know to be true” is listening to the Spirit. By agreeing with God, you know you are right with Him.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Romans 8:5-8

Be Careful With Advice to Hurting People...

We, as believers, must always use restraint when we give advice or quote scripture. We should always go to God first before we spout off scripture or truths about God in any situation. The reason I say this is because what we say (to help) may be true (of God), but it may not apply to the situation we are addressing it to. The perfect example of this is in Job chapter 4. Eliphaz’s first response to Job contains truth, but he is dead wrong about this situation. And so we need to take caution when addressing issues with hurting people. Like the earlier entry, sometimes the best thing we can do is just sit beside the grieving person, and say nothing. Be careful with advice to anyone suffering.

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job: 2 “Will you be patient and let me say a word?For who could keep from speaking out? 3 “In the past you have encouraged many people;you have strengthened those who were weak.4 Your words have supported those who were falling;you encouraged those with shaky knees.5 But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart.You are terrified when it touches you.6 Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence?Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope? 7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die?When have the upright been destroyed?8 My experience shows that those who plant troubleand cultivate evil will harvest the same.9 A breath from God destroys them.They vanish in a blast of His anger.10 The lion roars and the wildcat snarls,but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.11 The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey,and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered. 12 “This truth was given to me in secret,as though whispered in my ear.13 It came to me in a disturbing vision at night,when people are in a deep sleep.14 Fear gripped me,and my bones trembled.15 A spirit swept past my face,and my hair stood on end.16 The spirit stopped, but I couldn’t see its shape.There was a form before my eyes.In the silence I heard a voice say,17 ‘Can a mortal be innocent before God?Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’ 18 “If God does not trust His own angelsand has charged His messengers with foolishness,19 how much less will He trust people made of clay!They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.20 They are alive in the morning but dead by evening,gone forever without a trace.21 Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses,and they die in ignorance. Job 4

14 “One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.15 My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring Job 6:14-15

You, too, have given no help.You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid.22 But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift?Have I begged for anything of yours for myself?23 Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies,or to save me from ruthless people?24 Teach me, and I will keep quiet.Show me what I have done wrong.25 Honest words can be painful,but what do your criticisms amount to?26 Do you think your words are convincingwhen you disregard my cry of desperation?27 You would even send an orphan into slaveryor sell a friend.28 Look at me!Would I lie to your face?29 Stop assuming my guilt,for I have done no wrong.30 Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong? Job 6:21-30

Political Correctness.....

Reading through Jeremiah chapter 1 we come to a truth that modern day Christians seemed to have forgotten. In a politically correct world, speaking truth is offensive. And trying to be accommodating, Christians have watered down the Gospel. If we as Christians believe it’s true, why do we hold back? According to Jeremiah, God’s word (His truth) tears down what needs to be tore down. It uproots what needs to be uprooted. It also builds up and plants. God’s word accomplishes what it is set out to do. Why then do we refrain from promoting that message? Stopping what is set out to fix? We do it out of pure selfishness. We don’t want to offend, or better yet, want to be “not liked” by others. This “self-preservation” does more harm than good. I mean if we stop the gospel from reaching hurting souls, we are a hindrance. We are in effect acting as if we are an enemy of God, not a follower of Him. How can we claim Him to be Lord, if we water down His message? Understand that if we withhold truth in speaking with others, we are not living by faith. And we do not trust God. God’s word accomplishes what it supposed to. And if that means offending others, then I guess they needed to be offended. It’s the enemy of PRIDE. It’s not the people that speak truth that offends, it’s the truth itself, confronting a person in the wrong that offends. It’s built into our DNA. Shame, regret, guilt are all part of the process. If God’s word doesn’t offend evil, selfish behavior, then the recipient of His message has been blotted out of His book of life, and there is no hope for that soul. As harsh as it sounds, God is in control, not us. Political Correctness is a worldly thing. And it’s proof we are worldly minded when we give into it. Speaking God’s truth without watering it down is our duty. And it’s proof when we speak it, Who really is Lord in our lives.

4 The Lord gave me this message: 5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apartand appointed you as My prophet to the nations.” 6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!”7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put My words in your mouth!10 Today I appoint you to stand upagainst nations and kingdoms.Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10